Overhead conveyer trolley



8, 1950 E. GABOURY OVERHEAD comma TROLLEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June10. 1946 INVENTOR. Eugene Gaboury FA TTORNEY Aug. 8, 1950 E. GABOURYOVERHEAD CONVEYER TROLLEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10, 1946 w ,1, 6 l.ll 9 K l f I 1% .1. W V 6 i b H l w I U III INVENTOR. Eugene GabouryfiTTORNEY Patented Aug. 8, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OVERHEADCONVEYER TROLLEY Eugene Gaboury, Detroit, Mich.

Application June 10, 1946, Serial No. 675,581

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to trolleys and particularly conveyor trolleys.

A quite common type of conveyor comprises a traveling chain suspendedbeneath a coextensive track, and supported at suitable intervals bytrolleys having wheels engaging said track. The track is commonly anI-beam, its lower flanges forming a runway, and each trolley commonlycomprises a pair of wheels traveling such runway and hanger armssuspending the chain. The hanger arms are commonly substantialduplicates, bolted together beneath the track, and thus separable forengaging the trolley with and disengaging it from the track.Manipulation of the bolts and their associated nuts requires a suitablewrench and time is lost in obtaining the wrench and unscrewing the nutsand bolts, particularly when such fastenings are not easily accessible,as is often the case. When a conveyor of the described character fails,this commonly entails idleness for many men and machines, it being hencevital to minimize time required in removing and replacing a defectivetrolley or other defective portion of the conveyor.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved means for quicklyconnecting and disconnecting the paired hanger members of a conveyortrolley, eliminating the usual bolts and nuts, requiring no specialtools, and effecting a material time saving as compared to practices nowcommon.

More specifically, the invention provides for interlocking the pairedhanger members by a key such as may be tapped into place or driven outin a few seconds.

These and various other objects are attained by the constructionhereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my improved trolley, its track, anda portion of a chain conveyor.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the same, showing the track incross section.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the paired, wheel-mounting hangerarms of the trolley.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a chain-engaging hanger arm.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the key used to interlock the hangerarms of the trolley.

In these views the reference character I designates a track of I-beamform, the lower flanges of which form a runway for a pair of trolleywheels 2. Said wheels travel at opposite sides of the web of the beam I,being journaled on aligned studs 3 fixed on and projecting toward eachother from the upper ends of a pair of substantially duplicate hangerarms 4. The upper portions of such arms are adequately spaced to clearthe lower flange portion of the rail I, beneath which said arms haveflat parallel vertical end portions 5 in relatively close mutualproximity. Between the portions 5 is clamped a plate 6 formed by theupper end portion of a third hanger arm, and having a rectangularaperture 1 to receive a pair of arched metal keepers 8 projectingintegrally and oppositely from the portions 5, in a side-by-siderelation, and preferably struck out of suitable openings in the portions5. The plate 6 has grooves 9 in its opposite faces, oppositely extendingfrom the aperture 1, either of which may accommodate a key In drivenbetween the portions 5 and entering both keepers 8. This key preferablyhas a slight taper, effecting its locking in the keepers whensufiiciently inserted. The eifect of said key is to very firmly andstrongly secure the three hanger arms in assembled relation. The hangerarm comprising the plate 6 extends materially below the paired armsbeing bifurcated and having its furcations ll spaced to form a pair ofshoulders l2 to support a loop-forming link [3 of a conveyor chain. Suchchain further comprises upper and lower link members Id of elongatedplate form and suitably headed pins l5 connecting the links l3 and [4.The furcations II are formed with aligned apertures IE to receive a hook(not shown) or some other form of load carrier. It is preferred to formthe arm 6, ll of two sheet metal stampings, welded face to face in theirportions 6 and each forming one of the furcations II.

A primary advantage of the described trolley lies in the ease with whichit may be assembled or disassembled. Obviously, the key I0 may bequickly driven into or out of place and may be secured against removalby slightly bending its smaller end as shown in Fig. 3. While a hammeris preferably used to drive the key, an iron bar or any fairly heavyobject will serve the purpose in an emergency. For manipulation of nutsand bolts by a wrench as in prior practice, considerable clearance roomis necessary and there must be ample light. The key I0 may be driven inor out despite highly restricted working space and the operationrequires a minimum of light. In addition to the time saving effected,there is a considerable less expense entailed in producing the improvedinterlocking provision as compared to nuts and bolts. It may be notedfinally that nuts and bolts are not well suited to use where moistureprevails either intermittently or con tinuously, since consequentrusting deteriorates such fastenings and sometimes renders theirmanipulation decidedly difiicult. My improved connection, while notnecessarily immune to rust, cannot be materially impeded by rust fromoperating in its intended manner.

What I claim is:

l. A conveyor trolley comprising a pair of op posed hanger arms havingmutually confronting lower portions and spaced upper portions, a pair ofsubstantially aligned rollers mounted upon and between said upperportions, a pair of keepers respectively carried by the respective lowerportions of said arms, a key interposed between said lower portions andengaging in said keepers to lock the arms in unitary relation, a plateinterposed between said lower portions and apertured to receive bothkeepers.

2. A. conveyor trolley comprising a pair of opposed hanger arms havingmutually confronting lower portions and spaced upper portions, a pair ofarched loops respectively carried by the respective lower portions ofsaid arms, and a key interposed between said lower portions and insertedin said loops and thereby forming a means to lock the arms in unitaryreiation.

3. A. conveyor trolley comprising a pair of op-- posed hanger armshaving mutually coniron or; lower portions and spaced upper portions, apair of substantially aligned rollers mounted upon and between saidupper portions, a pair of keepers respectively carried by the respective102*: r portions of said arms, a key interposed betv e 11 said lowerportions and inserted in said keepers to lock the arms in unitaryrelation, and a plate interposed between said lower portions and havingan aperture to receive both keepers, said plate being grooved from itsaperture to its periphery to receive said key.

4. A conveyor trolley comprising a pair of opposed hanger arms havingnutually confronting lower portions and spaced upper portions, a pair ofsubstantially aligned rollers mounted upon and between said upperportions, a pair of keepers respectively carried by the respective lowerportions of said arms, a key interposed between said lower portions andinserted in said keepers to lock the arms in unitary relation, a thirdhanger arm interposed between the lower portions of said paired arms,and apertured to receive said keepers and depending below the pairedarms to carry a conveyor.

5. A conveyor trolley comprising a pair of opposed hanger arms havingmutually confronting lower portions, a pair of substantially alignedrollers respectively mounted on the respective upper portions of saidarms, a pair of keepers respectively carried by the respective lowerportions of said arms, a key inserted in said keepers and therebylocking the arms in unitary relation, a plate interposed between saidlower portions and having an aperture receiving both keepers, said platehaving grooves extending from said aperture in opposite directions andin opposite faces of the plate to accommodate said key.

6. A conveyor trolley comprising a pair of 0pposed hanger arms havingmutually confronting lower portions and spaced upper portions, a pairor" relatively offset loops respectively carried by the respective lowerportions of said arms, and forming substantially aligned sockets, and akey interposed between said lower portions and inserted in said socketsand thereby forming a means to lock the arms in unitary relation.

7. In a conveyor trolley as set forth in claim 6, a plate interposedbetween said lower portions and apertured to receive said loops andgrooved from its aperture to its periphery to receive said key, wherebysaid key lock said plate to the arms.

EUGENE GABOURY.

CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

